Method of and composition fob clbarzhg metals



JAMES H. GBAVELL,

or nr-xnrs ranx, PENNSYLVANIA.

' METHOD OF AND COMPOSITION FOR CLEARING METALS.

1,398,507. No Drawing.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. GRAVEL a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkins Park, in the and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Methodpf and Composition for Cleaning Metals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates enerally to cleaning metals and particular y to cleaning iron and steel, preparatory to painting.

The principal objects of the invention are, first, to provlde a method and an admixture or composition for cleaning steel which will be effective even when the metal is both oily and rusty; and second, to hasten the cleaning action of an acid in cases where the rust on the surface of the metal is excessive or where the surface is unduly oily.

In order to accomplish this I combine or admix with the acid fusel oil which is a solvent of mineral oil and is peculiarly adapted for the production of commercially ractical and improved industrial results. however, the fusel oil the acid (or vice n such an admixture, tends to separate from versat) I satis actorily in the hands of an expert workman, it cannot be used to advantage where care is not exercised, and in order to overcome this difficulty, I add to the admixture anagent in which it is miscible, such, for instance, as alcohol or acetone, making a homogeneous fluid.

Such an admixture will not act rapidly on a rusty surface, owing to the fact that little or no water is present to dissolve the salts produced by the acid, but this is corrected by the addition of water and I have discovered that water may be added to the above admixture without causing the ingredients to separate.

, My admixture, therefore, primarily consists of an acid and fusel oil,"'and to this may be added, to improve it, a liquid capable.

of dissolving the two, and the admixture may be still improved in its rapidity of action by the.

addition of water. Accordin v to my inventlon the admixture may be app ied to the metal by brushingor spraying or the metal may be immerse in the admixture.

-After the admixture has remained on the Specification ofLetters Iatent.

county of Montgomery.

and although the admixture works Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

Application filed February 27, 1920. Serial 30. 861,698.

surface of the metal a sufiicient time to attack the surface, which may be both oily and rusty, the metal is washed with water and allowed to dry in which case it is read for further commercial operations such as abricatm with dies or painting.

Su furic, nitric and hydrochloric acids clean steel and their application to that use s helped by the addition of fusel oil. However, such acids cause the steel to subsequently rust, but I find that if a phosphoric or any other acid whose iron salts are permanent 1n the air is used, the steel is not only freed from this tendency to rust but is put in practically a non-rustin condition, so that when phosphoric aci is used in my admixture, t e admixture is highly valuable for preparing metal" for painting because metal treatedaccording to my process then will not rust under the paint, even thoughit had a strong tendency to rust due to acid runs, hand-marks, soldering solutions, etc., on the surface prior cation of my admixture.

tothe appli- I have found by experiment that the following formula produces a tor'y'cleamng agent. are by vfi iume:

highly satisfac- The proportions given The proportions given in the above formula need not be exactly followed to produce satisfactory results as any proportions corresponding with the theory of my invention may be used, and as this invention is of a chemical nature it is evident to those skilled in theartthat chemical equivalents may. be substituted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

B the described invention the surface tension of the cleaning mixture is low, because the addition of fusel oil to the water produces that result and the presence of alcohol permits of the use of fusel oil in increased quantity. Fusel oil' contains amyl alcohol and butyl hols such as propyl alcohol.- Butyl, amyl and such alcohols are frequently designated 'monohydric alcohols of a higher boiling point than ethyl alcohol and they will-be alcohol and other aloo- A so designated herein and they sin ly or collectively are important factors in the attainment of the described results. In

such case the proportions by volume, might well be:

Phosphoric acid (85% solution) 1 part Propyl alcohol 0.4 parts ater 2. parts Butyl alcohol 0.25 parts I claim:

. liquid in'which the aforesaid ingredients are miscible.

3. The method of cleaning metal consisting in subjecting it to the action of an admixture consisting of phosphoric acid and fuselg; oil.

4.}The method of cleaning steel, consisting in subjecting it to the solvent action of phosphoric acid, fusel oil, waterand a fluid in which said ingredients are miscible.

5. A cleaning agent for metals consisting of an admixture of an etching acid and fusel oil.

6. A cleaning agent for iron and steel,

consisting of an etching acid, fusel oil, and a fluid in which said ingredients are miscible to produce a homogeneous fluid.

7 A cleaning agent 'for metals, consisting of an etching acid, fusel oil, Water, and a fluid in which said ingredients are miscible to produce a homogeneous liquid.

8. A cleaning agent for iron and steel, consisting of an admixture of phosphoric acid, alcohol, fusel oil and water.

9. The method of cleaning metal consisting in subjecting. it to the solvent action of a metal etching acid in the presence of a monohydric alcohol of a higher boiling point than ethyl alcohol.

10. A cleaning agent for metals consist metal etching acid ing of an admixture of a a higher boiland a monohydric alcohol of ing point than ethyl alcohol.

JAMES H. GRAVELL. 

